Hello,
I'm keen to get some info from those in the know about the building regs for loft conversions in 2004.
We are selling the house we have owned for 28 years. We have been asked for the building control completion certificate for the loft conversion that was done in 2004 (making a two-storey terraced house a 3-storey).
We gained planning permission for the work and the local authority online building control register shows that our plans were lodged with them in Oct 2004.
We know that our builder went through all the required inspections and we have got a copy of the council paperwork for what I understand would have been the third inspection (the insulation sign-off for roof and walls and the approval of the fire escape roof window). We can't recall ever being issued with a completion certificate (apparently they weren't required pre-2013).
Our problem is that the council's online BC register is showing the work as received but doesn't state that it's completed. The council are claiming that no inspections took place, which indicates that their digitisation of their archive is incomplete because we do have the paperwork for that third visit, which happened in Dec 2004. Our sale can't go ahead without a completion certificate. The council continues to insist its digitised records are complete even though that cannot be the case as they don't have a record of the paperwork that I've got for the 3rd visit.
With much difficulty, I have managed to get a building control inspector from the council booked to come and inspect the work. My queries are as follows:
i) the BC officer at the council said it would be "up to the inspector" whether or not to accept the evidence of the third visit paperwork as showing approval must have been given for the structural work. Do you think it's likely that they would accept it?
ii) our plans were submitted to the council in Oct 2004 so am I right in thinking that the inspector will need to check the remaining issues against the B regs that were applicable at that time?
iii) can anyone advise what the B regs at that time (Oct 2004) stated with regard to fire safety? We have got the fire escape egress (which is approved on the paperwork we have). We also have mains-linked smoke alarms on each floor and an FD30 fire door on the loft bedroom. But the ground floor stairs now open into a hallway that is open plan to the lounge (but not the kitchen). Does this arrangement comply with the 2004 regs or would we need to put a wall up to separate the hall from the lounge?
Many thanks for any advice that anyone can offer.
I'm keen to get some info from those in the know about the building regs for loft conversions in 2004.
We are selling the house we have owned for 28 years. We have been asked for the building control completion certificate for the loft conversion that was done in 2004 (making a two-storey terraced house a 3-storey).
We gained planning permission for the work and the local authority online building control register shows that our plans were lodged with them in Oct 2004.
We know that our builder went through all the required inspections and we have got a copy of the council paperwork for what I understand would have been the third inspection (the insulation sign-off for roof and walls and the approval of the fire escape roof window). We can't recall ever being issued with a completion certificate (apparently they weren't required pre-2013).
Our problem is that the council's online BC register is showing the work as received but doesn't state that it's completed. The council are claiming that no inspections took place, which indicates that their digitisation of their archive is incomplete because we do have the paperwork for that third visit, which happened in Dec 2004. Our sale can't go ahead without a completion certificate. The council continues to insist its digitised records are complete even though that cannot be the case as they don't have a record of the paperwork that I've got for the 3rd visit.
With much difficulty, I have managed to get a building control inspector from the council booked to come and inspect the work. My queries are as follows:
i) the BC officer at the council said it would be "up to the inspector" whether or not to accept the evidence of the third visit paperwork as showing approval must have been given for the structural work. Do you think it's likely that they would accept it?
ii) our plans were submitted to the council in Oct 2004 so am I right in thinking that the inspector will need to check the remaining issues against the B regs that were applicable at that time?
iii) can anyone advise what the B regs at that time (Oct 2004) stated with regard to fire safety? We have got the fire escape egress (which is approved on the paperwork we have). We also have mains-linked smoke alarms on each floor and an FD30 fire door on the loft bedroom. But the ground floor stairs now open into a hallway that is open plan to the lounge (but not the kitchen). Does this arrangement comply with the 2004 regs or would we need to put a wall up to separate the hall from the lounge?
Many thanks for any advice that anyone can offer.
